FAITH IS THE VICTORY

And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

Mark 6:7–13 ESV

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Mark 16:14–19 ESV

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Are people today still possessed by demons? Yes. Are we called to a ministry of exorcism? No. Moments but not a ministry. There are only two occasions of exorcism after the ascension of Jesus (Acts 8 & 16).

Martin Luther was correct when wrote in His great hymn “ A Mighty Fortress is Our God” - “this world with devils filled”. This world is filled with demonic spirits but not every is filled with a demonic spirit. Some people are possessed by an demon(s) but the vast majority are only possessions of Satan

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Only two kinds of people in our world children of the light or children of darkness. Those who are possessions of Christ or those who are possessions of the devil.

The focus of the text is not the exorcism of demons but the exercise of faith. Our world doesn’t need a church who sees Satan in everything or in nothing. It needs a church who understands this world is full of sinners and evil spirits. A church who knows that her battle

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

and her transmission of victory

Ephesians 6:16–18 ESV

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Mark 9:14 ESV

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.

History repeats itself. Faithlessness is not creative it is a repeat of what has been done in the past.

Mark 9:15 ESV

And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.

“greatly amazed” = the action of teenage girls at a boy band concert.

The world needs Jesus for it is full of evils that need to be remedied, full of work to be done.

Mark 9:16 ESV

And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”

Their argument centered on the legitimacy of their discipleship. It was believed in Jesus day that true disciples replicated their teachers teachings.

Mark 9:17–18 ESV

And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

The boys need is not to be healed physically. He is not sick - he is possessed by a spirit.

Their inability to cast out the demon called in to question their claim as well as Christ. Remember our earlier verses in Mark 3 and 6 - they had been given the authority to perform this work. Their failure was a failure of faith. They had begun to trust their own abilities rather than God’s.

There is a powerful reminder in this text - the forces of Satan seek to ruin those they rule.

Mark 9:19 ESV

And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

Remember our context - beginning in chapter 8 Jesus shifts the focus of His ministry from the crowd to His core 12. He is preparing them for his departure and they are in need of many more of His touches.

The Lord is not perplexed by their actions and yet he is not pleased. He uses their failure as a means of further discipleship. He know our fragility - our weakness and he seeks to strengthen it.

Jesus words point to the urgency of the moment. Jesus will use the remainder of this story to show us two types of faith and the type of faith he wants His disciples to possess.

Mark 9:20–22 ESV

And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

The presences of Jesus often brings conflict before peace. Don’t miss evil’s aim - to destroy him { to abolish, put to an end, to ruin entirely}.

The father knows that Jesus can deliver him (teacher I brought my son to you) (I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were unable to). When Jesus is not present their is no power.

The father’s faith had become feeble because of the disciples failure. He came believing Jesus could deliver to “if you possess any ability to help - be compassionate and help us.

Mark 9:23–24 ESV

And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Jesus says “I’m not the issue” to which he cries out “I believe; help my unbelief”.

Faith in its most basic sense is simply the reliance placed by one person in or on another, the reliance of one person in the power and the faithfulness and the truthfulness of another. You make a statement of fact to me about something I could not otherwise know and faith is that state of mind in me that accepts your statement as true, so true that I am willing be base my behavior on it.

Faith is not the cultivation of an optimistic outlook on life with a kind of spirituality attached to it? A holy hoping for the best? Faith is the confident assurance in events not yet seen. Faith is not a mindless stab in the dark It is not a crossing of the fingers and hoping for the best. It is not a leap into apparent nothingness It's a word that speaks of reasoned, careful, deliberate, intentional thought. Thought upon what? God and his promises. If you are absolutely gripped by the coming realities that have been promised to you by God, then how you live your life in the present will be radically different than if you did not possess that certainty. This is what faith is, my friends! Positive certainty expressed in action.

Authentic faith is not merely believing in God. It is believing God. Taking God at his word, living in obedience to his revelation whatever the cost because you know down deep in your bones that God will always do what he says, that his speaking is his doing. It is an abiding assurance in God and his promises that animates you to persevere in your obedience to Him.

Do you wish to be a more consistently obedient, steadily persevering Christian? A stronger Christian? A more courageous and outspoken Christian? Then you need to strengthen your faith!

Your faith instinctively strengthens in direct proportion to the expansion of the object of your faith! You expand your understanding of the object of your faith and faith itself will obediently follow. The object of your faith--if indeed you are a Christian--is Jesus Christ and all of his promises Is your faith weak?

It is owing to the fact that you don't know the object of your faith well enough But when Jesus Christ becomes progressively bigger, or better yet, your understanding of who he is progressively conforms to reality, your faith will become increasingly stronger. But how does that happen? By immersing yourself in the faith-arousing Word of God. Read of Jesus Christ!

The same powerful Word that long ago brought the universe to life is the same Word that can bring you to life and furnish you with a faith that is truly and authentically Christian.

Isaac Watts, one of the church’s greatest hymn writers, said on his deathbed concerning the promises of God, “I believe them enough to venture an eternity on them.”

Mark 9:25–29 ESV

And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Prayer is the exercise of faith. A failure to pray dooms our efforts. Their failure to pray was a failure of faith. Christians must live by faith! Faith is the key to Victory. Failure to pray is a declaration of self-reliance. Praying first is a declaration of spirit dependence.

How easy is it for our faith to fail? Let Jesus get out sight and failure will follow.

When Jesus says “this kind” I believe He is speaking of more than demon possession but the permeation of evil’s presences. When people of faith live out their faith the presences of evil will manifest itself in conflict. Our ministry is the ministry of Christ righteousness and as we minister His righteousness we might find ourselves momentarily participating in the ministry of exorcism.

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